How to make Siew Mai (Halal Version)

Har Gau (see recipe) and Siew Mai (or usually translated to Steamed Meat Dumpling) combine to form the one of the most popular pairing of dim sum dishes in Singapore. While Siew Mai is traditionally made with pork, this version uses chicken meat. This halal version steamed dumplings should work for everyone which you can certainly try out at home for breakfast or on the weekend and your kids will love it.

Ingredients  for Siew Mai:

• 250g minced chicken
• 7 medium shrimp (peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped)
• 3 dry shitake mushroom (soak still soft, squeezed dry and diced small)
• 2 water chestnuts (peeled and chop them roughly)
• ½ tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• ½ tablespoon finely chopped spring onions (white part only)
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon chicken powder
• ½ tablespoon corn starch
• ½ tablespoon egg white
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Round wonton wrappers (Cover the wantan skin with a wet cloth to prevent the skins from turning dry)
Finely diced carrots for garnishing

Method:

1. Combine minced chicken with other ingredients in a large mixing bowl and seasonings and set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Put a piece of wantan skin on your palm.
3. Put one tablespoon of filling on each wrapper, gather up the sides and leave the center open (Make sure the bottom is flat).
4. Arrange the siew mai in a bamboo steamer and garnish the top with some chopped carrot for color. Steam over high heat for 10 - 15 minutes. Serve Siew Mai hot with sweet sauce and chilli sauce.

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Photo credit avlxyz

How to make Har Gow (Chinese Shrimp Dumplings) Recipe

Har gow (har gau, har gao, ha gao) is a Singaporean dim sum favorite. Har Gow are those tasty shrimp dumplings with the translucent wrappers served at Chinese dim sum. The main trick to making Har Gow is handling the dough, which is very sticky and can break apart easily. This dish is said to be the one that the skill of a dim sum chef is judged on. Try these step by step amazing dumplings recipe let me know what you think in the comment section below. Enjoy! Related Recipe - Tasty Korean Dumpling (Mandoo), How to make Siew Mai.

Ingredients for Har Gow:

• 1 lb raw shrimp
• 4 oz sliced bamboo shoots
• 1 tbsp shao hsing wine
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ½ tsp stir fry oil
• ½ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 ½ cups non glutinous wheat flour (wheat starch)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup water

Method:

1. Remove all of the shells and tails from the shrimp. Devein them if they are not already.
2. Once the shrimp are clean, chop them into tiny pieces and place them in a bowl that has a tight fitting lid.
3. Drain and mince the bamboo shoots. Then mix them in with the shrimp.
4. To the shrimp mixture add the shao hsing wine, sesame oil, stir fry oil, sugar and salt. Mix everything together thoroughly and then add in the cornstarch. Place the shrimp mixture in the refrigerator and let it marinate for an hour.
5. Once the shrimp mixture marinates, prepare the skins. Mix the wheat flour with the vegetable oil. Then boil the cup of water in the microwave.
6. Once the water boils, quickly add it to the flour mixture and stir until everything is evenly combined. It should form a dough like consistency. Then let it sit until it cools.
7. After the dough cools, roll it into a long roll and cut it into 30 equal pieces.
8. Remove the shrimp filling from the refrigerator and set up a work station to fill the har gow. Oil a work board or plate and a rolling pin and oil the bottom of the steamer tray as well. An aluminum steamer is best suited for this recipe. Fill the bottom of the steamer with hot water and heat it on high.
9. Then take one of the dough pieces and roll it into a ball. Set it on the oiled board or plate and flatten it into a circular shape using the rolling pin.
10. Pick the skin up and place about a teaspoon of filling in the center. Then using each of your fore fingers, pleat the top of the skin using your thumb to curve the bottom of the skin around the filling. This is a bit difficult and if you wish you can simply pinch the dumplings closed forming a half circle. After each one is finished, place it in the oiled steamer tray.
11. Continue until all of the har gow are complete. Then steam them for just about 5 minutes. Remove them from the steamer and place them on plates to be served. Makes about 30.

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Recipe source: Lila Voo
BellaOnline's Chinese Food Editor

Photo Source: By Charles Haynes

5-star Hotel Dining Experience

If you think that dining experience at 5-star hotels are always 5-star, wrong!

I’m a health club member of Island Shangri-la and I swim there almost everyday. I receive some dining coupons recently and thought I should take my friends there because the poolside restaurant environment is really nice. Unfortunately that was the only strength they had. Food and services had no way to impress.

The table I booked was completely empty when we arrived. They offered us another table which had only two settings while I booked for four. We had to wait for 30 minutes to have the table fully set.

The food was unreasonably expensive, comparing to their quality. The $240 sea bass was next to rotten. I assume any professional chef should be able to tell that fish was not fresh enough to be served on any dining table. Pomelo salad, Phad Thai, chicken, spring rolls were just so so. The wanton in Tom Yam soup was not bad but $155 for only 6 wantons was just too expensive.

They didn’t re-fill water though the four of us were completely dry. They also didn’t remove/replace used/empty dishes. Our table was such a mess. Any high street fast food shop in Hong Kong could provide better services. In fact we were the only group of guests that evening, apart from the single gentlemen who enjoyed his cigar more than food. What are the excuses for poor services and poor food?

Pomelo Salad ($180)

Wan Ton in Tom Yam Soup ($155)

Spring Rolls ($85) Thought this is the cheapest on the menu
Chicken in Leaves ($85)Stir Fried Noodle ($165)
Any Thai restaurant in Hong Kong can produce something more delicious than this.The next-to-rotten Sea Bass ($240)
The strong sauce couldn't hide the unfreshness of the fish!Mango with Sticky Rice and Ice Cream
I gave it a 'marginal pass'. One of my guests who was Thai Chinese didn't agree with me. She graded it 'failed'. Perhaps this was the only strength of the restaurant. We oversaw the pool and the Bank of China while eating. As the restaurant was almost empty, I was free to borrow another table to take this photo. As the table we ate was in such a mess.
After all, my Thai Chinese friend said she never eat fishes in Thai restaurants as she's from Bangkok and she knows that Thai chefs are generally no good in cooking fishes. I thought she didn't tell me this out of courtesy while I picked the dishes.

Waterside Terrace

8/F Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong

HK$1,083 (incl. 10% service fee)(US$138.8)

Hong Kong Food Blog - Poor Hotel Food

How to make Soon Kueh (Mushroom Dumplings)

Soon Kueh is a steamed Chinese dumpling shaped like semi-circle made of rice flour skin with shredded turnips, mushroom and dried shrimps. The best soon kuehs have skins that are translucently thin, but yet retain a slightly chewy texture - a Singaporean morning or afternoon snack. Soon Kueh is also literally mean Mushroom Dumpling. Related Recipe - Tasty Korean Dumpling (Mandoo)

Ingredients for Soon Kueh filling:

• 1 turnip, shredded
• 200g dried shrimps, soaked
• 50g dried chinese mushrooms, soaked and diced
• 200g chicken fillet, sliced into strips
• 500g chives, chopped
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chicken stock

Ingredients for the Soon Kueh dough:

• 450ml cold water
• 450ml hot boiling water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 500g rice flour
• 50g tapioca flour
• Oil

Directions:

Method (Soon Kueh filling):
1. Fry garlic till they are dark brown in colour.
2. Add the dried shrimps, diced mushrooms, chicken strips and white pepper to garlic.
3. Add turnip and some chicken stock. Final filling should look slightly moist in texture and light brown in colour. Set aside.

Method (Soon Kueh dough):
1.Mix both flour together in a huge glass bowl and add cold water to mix till smooth liquid is formed.
2.Boil the 450ml water in a pot and then stir in the salt.
3. Pour the dough liquid into the boiling water, mix thoroughly till the mixture thickens. When dough is almost done, remove from heat.
4. Allow dough to cool before making the kueh, as it will not otherwise not be pliable and will tear.
5.Sprinkle some tapioca starch on your hand, pinch some dough and portioned the dough into little round balls. (Divide into the same number of portions as the filling)

To make the soon kueh, roll the ball into a flat disc. Spoon some filling onto the wrapper and the edges together to seal then twist patterns along the edges.

Steam on a greased tray lined with banana leaf for 12 minutes.

Brush some garlic oil over kuehs – prevents sticking. Serve Soon Kueh hot garnished with fresh chopped chives, fried shallots, sweet soya sauce and chilli sauce.

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How to make Milo Dinosaur

Milo is a chocolate flavored drinks served locally in mamak stalls offering versions such as "Milo Dinosaur" (a cup of Milo with an extra spoonful of powdered undissolved Milo added to it), "Milo Godzilla" (a cup of Milo with ice cream and/or topped with whipped cream) and "Neslo" (combined with Nescafe powdered coffee). Here's how you do it.

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp of Milo powder
• ½ tbsp sweetened beverage creamer
• Some crushed ice
• 2 heaped tbsp Milo powder

Method:

1. Mix Milo powder with Sweetened Beverage Creamer in a huge glass.
2. Fill in only half hot water into the glass and stir well.
3. Add in crushed ice into glass until full.
4. Add 2 heaped tablespoons of Milo powder.
5. Enjoy!

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How to make Jemput-Jemput Pisang

This Jemput-Jemput Pisang recipe is made with over ripe banana which gives it a lovely banana flavour at its best. Related recipe - Easy Goreng Pisang recipe (Thai Fried Bananas).

Ingredients:

• 2 over ripe banana mashed (preferable over ripen pisang emas)
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 dash salt
• 1½ cup self-raising flour (sifted)
• Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Mixed above ingredients well together until it is homogenize. Make sure that the overall mixture is neither too dry nor too watery. 
2. Heat the wok with vegetable oil (almost 1 litre for deep frying) with medium fire. Slow down the fire as we are going to fry the batter. 
3. Use a clean spoon dip with oil before scoop the dough into the medium heat frying oil. Fry the jemput-jemput pisang gobs until it turns dark brown. 
4. Tossed its from the oil to plates with kitchen serviette paper. Serve hot as snack.

Note: Deep fry the Jemput-Jemput Pisang in medium heat as sugar tend to make the fritter black quickly on the outside. If you use regular flour make sure you add in some baking powder to make the dough fluffy and soft.

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Snowy Moon Cake

Today is Mid Autumn Festival – August 15 in Chinese calendar. Well the most popular festival food is of course Moon Cake. This year I really want to try snowy moon cake. Though this new breed of moon cake was invented some years ago, I didn’t try it until this year.

The other day I passed by Wing Wah, a famous Hong Kong Chinese bakery, and bought a pack of their icy moon cake. Icy and snowy, same thing. As its creator Taipan calls it snowy moon cake, I’ll call it snowy moon cake.

Traditional moon cake is made of lotus seed paste and salty egg yolks, but snowy moon cake has only the shape of a moon cake but the ingredients are completely different. There are many choices of flavours but my favourite is mango. Unfortunately the saleswoman gave me a pack of coffee. It’s quite expensive, I must say. Two 1-inch cakes cost HK$40 (US$5.13) which means HK$20 for one cake which is only good for couple of bites. If it is not a festival food, I would never buy such an expensive cake.


The Moon and Seven Stars – is another traditional moon cake being interpreted by snowy moon cake. One big (the moon) being accompanied by seven small (stars) cakes - is usually very expensive. My brother received a gift pack of Maxim’s snowy moon cake this year and I was glad to have a chance to share a tiny piece of all the eight flavours.


Moon
燕窩綠豆蓉 Bird’s Nest Green Bean Paste
Stars
1. 藍莓芝士 blueberry and cheese
2. 芒果脆脆 mango dip
3. 楊枝甘露 pomelo and grape fruit
4. 抺茶甘栗 green tea and chestnut
5. 滑滑奶黃 milky egg
6. 天使白朱古力脆脆 angel dip (white chocolate)
7. 魔鬼脆脆 devil dip (black chocolate)


Another highlight of the Mid Autumn Festival is lanterns. The star fruit and rabbit lanterns are the most traditional that almost every Chinese kid (including adults when they were kids) must have played round with. See my star fruit lantern below.



Hong Kong Food Blog - Snowy Moon Cake

Spicy Belly Soup 胡椒豬肚湯

Who else is suffering from bloating?



I’m here to give you a dietary solution. Chinese is very good at dealing with health issue through daily diet. Spicy soup to deal with bloating is a perfect example. This is really clever, because even if it won’t work, we still got something delicious to eat. However spicy soup in clearing bloating always works. I see great results every time I drink it.



If you’ve read my post about ‘why I set up this blog’, you’ll know that I used to suffer from bloating quite badly. Though it’s been improving since I practice intermittent fasting, it is still bothering me occasionally. Recently I feel really bad and I remember this traditional Chinese dietary wisdom. It is cheap and delicious though with a little preparation work.



Spicy Pork Belly Soup Ingredients

 - 1 pork belly (HK$20)

 - 1 pack of pickled vegetable (HK$7)

 - Some white pepper

Preparation

The Spicy Soup ingredients are really simple, but it involves quite a bit of work in cleaning up the pork’s belly, which is actually the stomach of a pig. Therefore the best is to place an advance order and ask the pork seller to do the cleaning work for you. Today I just think of it and want to do it immediately, so I have to clean it myself. Here are the steps.



How to clean a pork belly

1. Remove all fats.

2. Drain the belly and flush out as much dirt as possible.

3. Cut open the belly and scratch away the dirt with a knife.

4. Rub with some organic dish drops; you can use salt and flour as an alternative.

5. Drain well until it is not smelly at all.

Cooking procedures

1. Par boil the pork belly in boiling water for a few minutes.

2. Cut the belly into small pieces.

3. Rinse the pickled vegetables in water to avoid the soup being too salty or too sour.

4. Grind some white pepper. The hotter the better in clearing the gas in our digestive system. Depending on the heat you can put on, use as much as you want. As for myself, I like to have my throat feeling on fire while drinking.

5. Boil 6 bowls of water.

6. Add the belly, pickled vegetable and pepper. Turn heat down after boiling.

7. Cook for one hour with low heat. **I use Amway, so low heat is fine. You may use slightly higher heat if you use other utensils. Keep simmering.

8. Turn to high heat for the last 5 minute before serving.

Spicy Belly Soup 胡椒豬肚湯

If you think that there is too much work, you can simply enjoy this soup from any Chiu Chow restaurant. But since they are serving the general public, their taste is relatively mild. If you want to have the ‘throat on fire’ feeling, it’s better to cook it yourself. I usually cook a big pot and consume for 2-3 days and see my bloating problem gradually improve.



For more healthy Chinese cooking ideas, visit my chef friend Nicholas Zhou’s website.



Hong Kong Food Blog - Spicy Belly Soup 胡椒豬肚湯